Google’s chatbot AI Bard, launched earlier in March, received an underwhelming response from the public compared to Microsoft’s Bing Chat. Bard’s performance, however, may soon improve as Google plans to switch its large language model from the smaller LaMDA to the larger PaLM.
Transition from LaMDA to PaLM
During an episode of The New York Times’ Hard Fork podcast, Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed the company’s intention to upgrade Bard to the PaLM model. The upgrade is expected to enhance Bard’s reasoning and coding capabilities, making it more competitive with Bing Chat and OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Comparing LaMDA and PaLM Models
LaMDA was trained with 137 billion parameters, while PaLM boasts around 540 billion parameters. The considerable difference in size and capacity is expected to result in more diverse and knowledgeable responses from Bard once the transition is complete.
Google’s Focus on Quality Over Speed
Pichai emphasized the importance of improving Bard’s performance over rushing to outpace competitors. He also highlighted the benefits of Bard’s initial smaller scale, allowing more users to test the AI and provide valuable feedback.
Regulating AI and Chatbots
The conversation surrounding AI chatbots like Bard, Bing Chat, and ChatGPT has sparked debates on their use and regulation. Pichai expressed the importance of establishing regulations for AI and ensuring consumer protection. The Center for AI and Digital Policy recently requested the Federal Trade Commission investigate OpenAI, ChatGPT’s parent company, for potential consumer protection law violations.
